New Delhi building fire kills at least 21 people, mostly foreigners

A fire broke out in a building in a New Delhi neighbourhood on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring several others.

The majority of the deceased are reported to be foreign nationals, mainly from Central Asia and Africa, officials told media.

The building in the Malviya Nagar neighborhood in the southern part of the city had a restaurant on the ground floor and a hotel above.

Many Bangladesh tourists, especially medical tourists, visit the nearby Max Hospital, but so far it cannot be confirmed if any Bangladeshi had been affected, the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi told Waadaa.

The blaze was extinguished with the help of eight fire engines, and more than 40 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, Delhi police said in a statement.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Images from the scene showed firefighters trying to douse the blaze as thick smoke billowed from the building. Some people trapped inside were seen hanging from windows and shouting for help as flames and smoke swept through parts of the building, the AP reports.

Local residents also joined rescue efforts, helping evacuate people trapped inside and carrying some of the injured to safety.

Some of the victims were foreign nationals who had traveled to India for medical treatment, local media reported.

Many foreign patients travel to New Delhi for medical treatment and often stay in nearby hotels or residential accommodation during their visits.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the deaths, his office said in a post on X.

It also said that the families of those killed would receive 200,000 rupees ($2,088) each in financial assistance.